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Did you know that a number of famous Indian luminaries have studied abroad? Here’s a list of ten famous Indian personalities who went abroad to complete their higher education.

Let’s start the list with ‘Political Leaders’:

Mahatma Gandhi

A legend, a man whose life was his message — the ‘Father of the Indian Nation,’ Mahatma Gandhi was the crux of the Indian freedom struggle and shook the very bastions of the British Empire with his non-violent struggle — ‘Satyagraha’. Mahatma Gandhi studied law at University College London and returned to India to work as a barrister and the rest as they say is history.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is credited to be the man who laid down the framework of the Indian constitution. He fought for equality for all and was also a noted economist. Dr. Ambedkar secured multiple degrees in law, economics and political science. He studied at Columbia University, the London School of Economics and the University of London.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Independent India’s first Prime Minister and one of the architects of India’s independence; Jawaharlal Nehru studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and the Inner Temple where he trained to be a barrister at law. His foresight and planning is seen as the catalyst for India’s industrial development and economic growth.

Legends of Modern Literature:

Salman Rushdie

A world-renowned novelist, Salman Rushdie won the Booker Prize for his epic work: ‘Midnight’s Children’. He completed his schooling in Bombay and went onto study history at King’s College, University of Cambridge. His book ‘The Satanic Verses’ was embroiled in controversy; but he continues to write best-selling books and has inspired an entire generation of authors in the Indian sub-continent to write in English.

Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa is an acclaimed novelist of Indian origin born to Indian immigrants in London. She grew up in the USA and has received multiple degrees from Boston University on English and Creative Writing. Her first book of short stories; an anthology titled ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ was awarded the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Jhumpa continues to write fiction and non-fiction in English and is a regular contributor to ‘The New Yorker’ magazine.

Champions of Industry:

Indra Nooyi

Indra Nooyi is ranked consistently among the top 10 most powerful women in the world list issued by the ‘Forbes’ magazine. She worked as the CEO of PepsiCo; and at one point her annual income was nearly USD 17 million. Indra was born in Madras, now renamed Chennai. She holds a degree in science and a PGD (MBA) from IIM Calcutta. She studied at the prestigious Yale School of Management and earned a master’s degree in Public and Private Management.

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani

The second son of Indian business giant Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries, Anil heads the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group — a diversified business conglomerate with interests in telecom, entertainment, power-generation, health and insurance. Anil is an alumnus of the Warwick Business School and a member of the Board of Overseers at the prestigious Wharton School of Business.

Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata is one of Indian industry’s leading stalwarts — when he promised a car for less than USD 3,000 the ‘nay-sayers’ scoffed at him. When the Tata Nano was launched, the world stood up to take notice of Indian innovation and automobile design. Ratan Tata is an alumnus of Cornell University and the Harvard Business School. Additionally, he has been awarded an honorary doctorate by nearly a dozen international institutions.

Dancing with the Stars:

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is a model, an actress, television host, celebrity chef and writer. She was born in Chennai and grew up in the USA. She studied at Clark University, in Worcester, Massachusetts and is known for her television roles and raising awareness about women’s health. She continues to appear on television and has also launched a line of jewellery.

Ranbir Kapoor

The current heartthrob of young women across India; Ranbir comes from a family associated with cinema in India and is the grandson of Showman — Raj Kapoor and son of Rishi Kapoor. Ranbir studied at New York’s School of Visual Arts and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He continues to deliver blockbusters and is steadily becoming the most bankable young male-star of the new generation of Hindi cinema.

Conclusion

A higher education degree from abroad may not guarantee you fame and money like the people mentioned above but it is sure to teach you a lot of good things and the ability to live independently. So get set for a fun-filled learning experience abroad and find an institution today!

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